I'll be Waiting for You
by Romulan Empress
Summary: Minerva has a conversation with Umbridge right after Dumbledore leaves in OOTP. Rating to be safe. ADMM
1. Beginning

This takes place in OOTP right after Dumbledore leaves Hogwarts. It is a conversation between McGonagall and Umbridge that night concerning Dumbledore. Then it turns to what happens after. AD/MM  
  
"Minerva, how... pleasant... to see you here," the overly-sweet, little-girlish voice said. Professor Minerva McGonagall looked up from the essays she was grading. Professor Dolores Umbridge stood in the doorway to the staff room. Minerva narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Hello, Dolores," she said stiffly.  
  
"I am so sorry about tonight's events. It was a dreadful thing to witness," Umbridge began in what appeared to be an attempt at sympathy.  
  
"Drop the act, Dolores," Minerva snapped. "This is what you and Fudge have wanted since the end of last year when young Harry Potter and Albus first announced first announced that You-Know-Who was back."  
  
"Well, if you want to be that way, yes. The Minister" (Umbridge stressed the word "minister" in response to Minerva's careless "Fudge") "has already informed me that I am the new Head of Hogwarts. The house-elves should be putting up the notices as we speak."  
  
"Bitch. Hogwarts is doomed."  
  
"Do you really want to take that tone with me, Minerva?" Umbridge said, going back to her false-sweet voice. "After all, I am the head now. I am sure you never took that tone without Albus."  
  
"Of course not. Unlike you, Albus was a competent teacher and Headmaster," Minerva shot back. Professor Umbridge shot a look of pure loathing at her.  
  
"Albus was going senile! He was listening to a delusional and highly disturbed boy, and taking his word as truth!"  
  
"Harry Potter is neither delusional nor disturbed... at least not disturbed in the manner that you speak of. Not only Albus listens to him!"  
  
"Albus had his little gang of students, his 'army,' true. But what can a bunch of brats do?"  
  
"They can do quite a lot."  
  
"Oh wait, I am forgetting someone- you." There was dead silence in the staff room.  
  
"I believe Albus Dumbledore," Minerva said, her voice cold as ice on Mars.  
  
"I would be willing to bet that you were one of the top people in 'Dumbledore's Army,'" Umbridge said. "It is common knowledge that you are Albus' best friend. Perhaps even... more than friend?" Minerva leapt to her feet, third-year essays forgotten.  
  
"What, precisely, are you insinuating?" she demanded.  
  
"That no one is surprised that you are not only Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor, but also Deputy Headmistress."  
  
"One could always ask you how you go to not only be Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, but also Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, High Inquisitor, and Headmistress at Hogwarts." Professor Umbridge's face darkened.  
  
"Oh?" she said coldly.  
  
"Yes," Minerva said, simply raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I could have you arrested right now, Minerva," Umbridge said.  
  
"Whatever for?" Minerva said disdainfully.  
  
"Just a few simple words: he will not be single-handed." Once again, all was silent.  
  
"I will defend what I think is right. There was nothing more," Minerva said, though inside, she was shaking.  
  
"I think not," Umbridge said, watching her closely.  
  
"Well then, Dolores, I am sorry you are wrong," Minerva said haughtily. "If you will excuse me, I need to finish these essays... in peace!" She gathered the stack of papers into her arms and strode out of the staff room, not looking at Professor Umbridge.  
  
Minerva stormed through the corridors, in one of her get-out-of-my-way-or-I- will-trample-you moods. She gave a house-elf with a few notices a grand telling-off for not getting out of the way in time. Cheating was one of the things that most angered Minerva, be in class, or on the Quidditch pitch, or in games, or in jobs.  
  
Once back to her quarters though, she dropped the stack of parchments on her desk and leaned against the cool stone wall, dropping her in-control face. She felt hot tears come to her eyes and forced them back.  
  
"I will not cry," she whispered to herself. It was always times like this when she would come to Albus' quarters for a cup of hot chocolate or a game of chess, or just to talk. They really were best friends, and, though she would never tell Umbridge, she did love him. He did not know it though. It was not like she could ever tall him anyways, if only because of what people would think.  
  
"Influential people have no time for close relationships," she reminded herself. "If they were already married, fine. But if it was like her and Albus, people would accuse them of unfair play, like Dolores.  
  
She allowed herself to go to her window and stare out across the grounds. There was the lake. Even as a student, she had loved taking brisk walks around it to clear her head. She had not had time for that in a long time.  
  
Beyond that was the Forbidden Forest. That too had been the source of many... adventures... as a student. It was helpful though, as she now knew many of its paths and could probably make her way through it without too much difficulty. She and Albus had sometimes had picnics at its edge... no. She would not think about that anymore. He would be back. He had to be.  
  
Until he came, she would keep Dolores from completely leveling the school. She would save Hogwarts for him. That was her duty now and she could not, would not, fail. She smiled as she thought of that day.  
  
Minerva took a new candle out of her closet. It was covered in decorative vines and leaves, and had always been much too gaudy for her. However, it was large and would burn for a long time. Minerva lit it and put it in the window. She knew that this was un-necessary and illogical, but something compelled her to do it.  
  
"Good night, Albus," she whispered, staring at the sky with eyes full of unshed tears. The light of the candle made her face glow with an un-Earthly light. "I love you."  
  
In a small, out-of-the-way place far from Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore suddenly sat up from the letter he was writing. He went outside and stared at the sky.  
  
"Good night, Minerva," he whispered. "I love you." 


	2. End

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Last chapter, due to many special requests! This was originally one-shot, but I bow to the wished of my lovely reviewers. Twelve reviews... that is the most I have ever gotten on one chapter! I love you all! Warning: romance ahead. Completely non-realistic and hopefully sweet.  
  
Albus Dumbledore smiled, happy to be back at Hogwarts. Minerva would have to fill him in on everything that had gone on in his absence. He had tried to keep up with news at Hogwarts, but had not done very well, as he had been busy with larger-scale Order business and apparently the Ministry had been hushing everything up. He had already heard that Umbridge had been made Head of Hogwarts, and Hagrid had been driven away.  
  
Albus entered the staff room to find Professor Flitwick sitting there, staring at a first-year exam, but clearly not seeing it.  
  
"Filius, hello," Albus greeted the tiny man. Flitwick looked up, astonishment plain on his face.  
  
"Albus! Welcome back, welcome. Does this mean that Dolores will be leaving?"  
  
"Yes, Filius," Albus responded, smiling. "How have things been going here?" Flitwick's face fell.  
  
"Not well, Albus," he sighed.  
  
"Can you tell me where I might find Minerva?" The tiny professor's eyes widened.  
  
"You have not heard yet!?" he asked in astonishment.  
  
"Heard what? Has something happened to her? Is she dead!?" Fear like Albus had never felt before gripped him. If Minerva was dead... But why was he so bothered? He could always find another Transfiguration teacher, Deputy Head, and Gryffindor Head. But... he loved her. He could not imagine life without her anymore. And now, he was faced with that possibility.  
  
"I do not think so. The latest news from St. Mungo's was that she had not improved much but she has not worsened either."  
  
"Filius. What. Happened?"  
  
"Umbridge and some of her friends tried to send Hagrid away. He refused to go, so they tried to Stun him. Minerva of course was enraged at their cowardice, because it was dark outside and Hagrid had no wand. She ran outside to stop them and they turned their wands on her. She got hit by four Stunners, directly in the chest." Albus was speechless.  
  
"Thank you, Filius," he managed to say and left. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Albus pushed the door to the Transfiguration classroom open and stared at all the empty seats. Everything was exactly as she had left it. There was the tin of Ginger Newts, sitting in reach on the corner of her desk. There was her favorite quill, lying on top of someone's homework. There was the Gryffindor scarf she always wore to Quidditch matches in the colder months, on a peg on the wall. Everything was as it should be... except she was not there.  
  
Albus slowly walked forward on perched atop a desk in the front row. He remembered a day, it seemed only yesterday, when he had sat in this very spot...  
  
flashback  
  
"Hello Minerva," Albus said, grinning. Minerva looked up from the third years' homework.  
  
"Albus, you scared me. I did not even hear you come in."  
  
"You are too focused on your work," Albus told her.  
  
"I need to get these done. I decided to use the free time I have."  
  
"Now is not your free time."  
  
"May I ask why not?"  
  
"You promised me you would play checkers with me. Remember when I asked you to play checkers because you kept beating me at chess?" Minerva slowly put her quill down.  
  
"Albus, I am so sorry..." She came over and laid a hand on his arm. "We can play now," she said, smiling.  
  
end flashback  
  
Minerva had won, of course. That was not important. He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized that she forgot. He had immediately forgiven her. She had been rather stressed. The next morning she did not show up for breakfast, and he found her in her classroom, sleeping with her head on the stack of graded papers. He admired her dedication. Now, she might die.  
  
two days later  
  
Albus entered the Great Hall and walked to his seat, smiling at the students as he passed them. His heart was not in the smiles though. He could not smile sincerely with Minerva gone. He reached the staff table and walked towards his seat.  
  
"Hello Albus," a familiar voice said. A head leaned back and Minerva smiled at him from her place at his right. He sat down next to her.  
  
"Minerva. Are you well?"  
  
"I am as well as I can be, under the circumstances," she said. "We can talk later though. You need to make the announcements." Albus nodded and stood up.  
  
"I only have one announcement to say today," he said beaming at the students. "I would everyone to welcome Professors Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid back. The students all cheered and clapped, particularly the Gryffindors.  
  
The feast was delicious, but neither Albus nor Minerva could concentrate on the food. Minerva excused herself early and Albus followed a few minutes later.  
  
"Minerva, wait," he said, catching up to her in the hall.  
  
"Albus!" she said and flung her arms around him. He hugged her back. "I missed you," she said, smiling. "Come on to my quarters; there is so much I want to tell you!" The two walked to Minerva's rooms and when they got there, the first thing Albus saw was the gaudy candle burning in the window.  
  
"Why do you have a Call-Me-Home Candle?" he asked.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"That is a Call-Me-Home Candle. You light it and put it in your window while thinking of a person who is away. It will refuse to go out until the person you want called home touches it."  
  
"So that is why it refused to go out when I tried to blow it out," Minerva said in wonder. Albus walked over to the candle and looked at its dancing flame. He gently stroked the wax along the side and immediately, the candle went dark. He spun around and looked at Minerva.  
  
"It was for me?" he asked.  
  
"I lit it the night you were driven away. I... I was just... lonely, Albus. I mean, normally you and I would stay up late either laughing about the incident or deciding our plan of action, but I was alone..." She trailed off.  
  
"You are not alone now," he said, walking across the room and enveloping her in his embrace. "Please do not cry."  
  
"You cannot know what it was like. With you gone, she terrorized the school. Everyone resisted as they best could... the students were so brave. You would have been proud of them."  
  
"The students can wait another night. What about you? I was so worried. I love you and if I had lost you..."  
  
"I love you too," she whispered. He leaned down and kissed her. She responded and they realized that they were both in love with each other. The details of the Umbridge takeover could wait. The students could wait. All Minerva and Albus needed was each other.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Minerva and Albus announced their engagement at the welcome feast the following year. The ceremony was held a few days before Christmas, and there was a ball that all students were invited to afterwards. The Professors Dumbledore continued to teach. Neither ever had to wait for the other again. 


End file.
